Grassland Evaluation Contest Study Guide

Grassland Evaluation Contest Study Guide Sixth Edition: August 2009

Quality of Habitat

(10 points each)

1. Rate the quality of habitat provided by the entire field for quail and rabbits. Place an X next to the best choice. (10 points)

____ good to excellent

____ fair to poor

The following guidelines should be used to determine the quality of habitat:

(at least 4 elements needed for a good rating)

Good to Excellent Fair to Poor

Field size 10-20 acres Field size

Seven or more important food plants present(occurring over more than 50% of field) Less than seven important food plants present (or over less than 50% of field)

Adequate escape cover within or immediately adjacent to field (25-50% of field within 250’) Inadequate escape cover (due to size, location, condition, grazing, etc.)

Suitable nesting cover present (25% bare ground + 25-50% vertical structure 6-18" + 25% litter present) Suitable nesting cover not present

Canopy coverage of vegetation 6-18" tall equals 26 - 75% Canopy coverage of vegetation < 25% or > 75%

Each of these elements is important in providing for the life cycle requirements of quail and rabbits. While evaluating the field for the first eight questions, their presence or absence will become obvious.
Field Size: The optimal size of a grazing unit or grassland is specific to individual wildlife species. When managing for rabbits and quail; nesting, brooding, and escape cover should be in close proximity. On grazing lands, research suggests that greater nesting success will result from paddock sizes between 10-20 acres. Abundant nest predators in surrounding cover and livestock nest trampling may limit nesting success in pastures smaller than 10 acres. Contrary to fields of less than 20 acres, rabbits and quail may never use the interior of larger, poorly managed fields which lack well-distributed, adequate protective cover.
Seven or more important food plants: The amount and diversity of food plant species over the whole field should be high enough to support the range of animals living there. Maintaining a diversity of food plant species in grassland buffers its ability to supply food for dependent wildlife species during seasonal changes and extreme weather conditions. One or two food plants species in grassland would not be enough to sustain a covey of quail or family of rabbits over the course of a year. Significant expression of a plant species over at least 50% of the field indicates an adequate food production capacity
Protected escape cover: Birds and mammals alike find security and protection in briars, dense shrub thickets, downed brushy cover, blackberry brambles, or any adequate escape cover. The ground beneath the cover must be bare with no fescue or other sod forming grasses which inhibit movement. It would be difficult to maintain adequate escape cover in pastures where livestock have access, unless brambles, briars, or downed brush has sufficient density and durability to restrict livestock entrance at its perimeter. To be adequate, at least 25 - 50% of the field within 250’ of escape cover.
Suitable nesting cover present: Quail have specific nesting requirements for successful hatch and survival of the brood. The nesting season following a disturbance usually offers suitable structure, residual litter, and bare ground desired by most ground-nesting birds. Preferable soil or vegetation disturbing practices range from tillage to herbicide treatment or prescribed burning (disking, spraying, or burning). Mowing usually does very little to improve a grassland for wildlife, and is most often detrimental.
More than 25% dry litter will inhibit movement of young rabbits and quail. Coverage of vertical structure 6-18" tall should be at least 25-50% for overhead protection of birds as they sit on the nest. Vertical structure will increase as the season progresses and vegetation grows up over the nest, offering additional seclusion. The importance of bare ground cannot be overemphasized. It is necessary for ease of movement, dusting, and feeding. For greatest appeal to quail there should be no less than 25% bare ground in nesting cover. Under optimum management, adequate nesting cover should be provided by at least 50% of the grazing unit or an equivalent amount should be immediately adjacent.
Canopy coverage of vegetation 6 - 18": Consider all herbaceous and woody vegetation that is from 6-18” tall (about ankle to knee high). Any type of overhead canopy can provide protection from aerial predators. High quality, desirable cover will be sparse enough at ground level for easy movement through the vegetation by young quail and rabbits. The optimal range for 6-18” canopy coverage is 26-75%. Thermal protection in summer is important for brood survival.
2. If you rated this field fair to poor, identify the factors limiting its carrying capacity for quail and rabbits. In the left hand column below, circle the letter of each limiting factor which has been discovered during the field evaluation. In the right hand column, circle the number of each management practice that can be implemented to improve the limiting factors indicated. (10 points - 1 point each)

Limiting Habitat Factors Management Practices

A. Ground cover thick and/or continuous 1. Establish protected escape cover

B. Vegetation uniformly short 2. Lightly disk strips on contour

C. Inadequate nesting cover 3. Use prescribe fire

D. Too far to protected escape cover 4. Adjust stocking / patch-burn graze

E. Insufficient plant diversity 5. Overseed w/wildlife friendly forbs

A.Thick, continuous ground cover makes it difficult for quail and rabbits to move around and forage or carry out daily activities. An adequate amount of bare ground would delay the vegetation from becoming too thick and dense for wildlife use. Disking, burning, herbicide, or patch-burn grazing can create greater structure and species diversity while increasing bare ground.
B.Uniformly short vegetation on 50% or more of the pasture does not provide adequate structure for protection of rabbits, quail, and other wildlife during critical nesting or brood rearing seasons. Pastures which are uniformly short are generally void of wildlife. Disking should be used to stimulate the growth of additional annual plants, increase bare ground, and diversify vertical structure. Reducing livestock stocking rates or the timing and duration of grazing will also improve vertical structure. When vegetation is uniformly short, there is not enough fuel remaining to perform a prescribed fire.
C.Inadequate nesting cover may be caused by overly thick vegetation with little bare ground, insufficient dry litter, or insufficient vertical structure. Depending on the current condition of the pasture, disking, herbicide, or prescribed fire may be used to increase bare ground, open up dense vegetation, and create diverse vertical structure for a period of time after implementation. Grazing at a lighter stocking rate in severely grazed pastures, a heavier stocking rate in under-grazed paddocks, or implementing a patch-burn grazing system can also improve nesting structure. When adjusting stock density, timing and duration must be considered for the most optimal quail and rabbit management.
D.Distance to protected escape cover is critical for optimal quail and rabbit habitat. Fields with little or no adequate escape cover in close proximity will not be used. Existing cover should be fenced to avoid livestock access and improve quality. New shrubby cover may be planted or created using cut brush and should be protected from grazing. Larger grasslands require more patches of escape cover for successful quail and rabbit management. At least 1500ft squared of escape cover should be available for every 10 acres of grassland.
E.plant diversity allows grassland to support wildlife throughout the year, when seasonal changes affect the type and availability of forage plants. Low food plant diversity can be corrected by disking, burning, or overseeding with wildlife friendly forbs.

Wildlife Habitat Score Card Revised: August 2009

Return to Grassland Evaluation Contest Study Guide

Grassland Evaluation Contest Study Guide	Sixth Edition: August 2009
Quality of Habitat
(10 points each)


1. Rate the quality of habitat provided by the entire field for quail and rabbits. Place an X next to the best choice. (10 points)
	____ good to excellent
	____ fair to poor

The following guidelines should be used to determine the quality of habitat:
(at least 4 elements needed for a good rating)
Good to Excellent	Fair to Poor
Field size 10-20 acres	Field size
Seven or more important food plants present(occurring over more than 50% of field)	Less than seven important food plants present (or over less than 50% of field)
Adequate escape cover within or immediately adjacent to field (25-50% of field within 250’)	Inadequate escape cover (due to size, location, condition, grazing, etc.)
Suitable nesting cover present (25% bare ground + 25-50% vertical structure 6-18" + 25% litter present)	Suitable nesting cover not present
Canopy coverage of vegetation 6-18" tall equals 26 - 75%	Canopy coverage of vegetation < 25% or > 75%

Limiting Habitat Factors	Management Practices
A. Ground cover thick and/or continuous	1. Establish protected escape cover
B. Vegetation uniformly short	2. Lightly disk strips on contour
C. Inadequate nesting cover	3. Use prescribe fire
D. Too far to protected escape cover	4. Adjust stocking / patch-burn graze
E. Insufficient plant diversity	5. Overseed w/wildlife friendly forbs


A.Thick, continuous ground cover makes it difficult for quail and rabbits to move around and forage or carry out daily activities. An adequate amount of bare ground would delay the vegetation from becoming too thick and dense for wildlife use. Disking, burning, herbicide, or patch-burn grazing can create greater structure and species diversity while increasing bare ground. B.Uniformly short vegetation on 50% or more of the pasture does not provide adequate structure for protection of rabbits, quail, and other wildlife during critical nesting or brood rearing seasons. Pastures which are uniformly short are generally void of wildlife. Disking should be used to stimulate the growth of additional annual plants, increase bare ground, and diversify vertical structure. Reducing livestock stocking rates or the timing and duration of grazing will also improve vertical structure. When vegetation is uniformly short, there is not enough fuel remaining to perform a prescribed fire. C.Inadequate nesting cover may be caused by overly thick vegetation with little bare ground, insufficient dry litter, or insufficient vertical structure. Depending on the current condition of the pasture, disking, herbicide, or prescribed fire may be used to increase bare ground, open up dense vegetation, and create diverse vertical structure for a period of time after implementation. Grazing at a lighter stocking rate in severely grazed pastures, a heavier stocking rate in under-grazed paddocks, or implementing a patch-burn grazing system can also improve nesting structure. When adjusting stock density, timing and duration must be considered for the most optimal quail and rabbit management. D.Distance to protected escape cover is critical for optimal quail and rabbit habitat. Fields with little or no adequate escape cover in close proximity will not be used. Existing cover should be fenced to avoid livestock access and improve quality. New shrubby cover may be planted or created using cut brush and should be protected from grazing. Larger grasslands require more patches of escape cover for successful quail and rabbit management. At least 1500ft squared of escape cover should be available for every 10 acres of grassland. E.plant diversity allows grassland to support wildlife throughout the year, when seasonal changes affect the type and availability of forage plants. Low food plant diversity can be corrected by disking, burning, or overseeding with wildlife friendly forbs.



Wildlife Habitat Score Card Revised: August 2009